Stay
by Pennie
Summary: A Katie Angle Story. One shot based on Sugarland's Stay.


A/N: This is another story in the saga of Katie Angle. It happens somewhere between the last part of her first story and the beginning of the second one

Stay

_I've been sitting here staring at the clock on the wall  
>And I've been laying here praying, praying she won't call<br>It's just another call from home  
>And you'll get it and be gone<br>And I'll be crying_

I couldn't believe that I continued to put myself through this torture. The only difference from all the other times was that this time we were in my hotel room instead of his. I knew how this was going to end. It was going to end the same way it always did. I would be crying and wondering what I had done wrong. He would be going home to the wife that he always claimed that he treated horribly. Even though I knew it wouldn't help I prayed like always that he would me here when I woke up in the morning.

I knew that I would eventually fall asleep and hear his phone ring. She would call and he would leave. He always left at her beck and call. She would need him and expect him there. I would be here crying and asking why. Why did he still love her and why did he have to go. I had shed more tears than I could possibly count over him, but I was still here anyway.

_And I'll be begging you, baby  
>Beg you not to leave<br>But I'll be left here waiting  
>With my Heart on my sleeve<br>Oh, for the next time we'll be here  
>Seems like a million years<br>And I think I'm dying_

When the phone rang all the thoughts came. All the reasons why he should stay, but I had learned that none of them would help. He would still leave. That didn't help the words from coming out. "Please, baby, don't go. Stay here with me. I need you tonight." I was able to stop myself with just that, but I really wanted to know what she had that I didn't. There were so many more words that wished that I would say. None of them were going to change was I knew that he was going to say next.

I was going to end up here with nothing. I had always worn my heart on my sleeve when it came to him. I would just sit around waiting. I may go back to Pittsburgh to work on my life there, but ultimately I would be waiting the seeming eternity that it would be before I get myself back in his arms.__

_What do I have to do to make you see  
>She can't love you like me?<em>

_Why don't you stay  
>I'm down on my knees<br>I'm so tired of being lonely  
>Don't I give you what you need<br>When she calls you to go  
>There is one thing you should know<br>We don't have to live this way  
>Baby, why don't you stay<em>

He started pulling on his clothes while I was working up the courage to get him to stay. I needed to know what I wasn't giving him. He always told me that there wasn't anything that I couldn't give him, but he was always leaving me. The fact that despite how bad he always said things were at home, he always went.

I told him that he didn't have to go, but he didn't stop putting his clothes on. I just wanted to know why he couldn't just stay.__

_You keep telling me, baby  
>There will come a time<br>When you will leave her arms  
>And forever be in mine<br>But I don't think that's the truth  
>And I don't like being used and I'm tired of waiting<br>It's too much pain to have to bear  
>To love a man you have to share<em>

He said what I knew was coming. He promised me yet again that he was going to leave Jenna eventually. He just had to wait until it was the right time for his kids. He didn't want to hurt them. He wanted everything to be as civil as possible so that they would still be part of his life. While I understood, I didn't want this to go on forever. Every time he left another piece of me died inside. I was scared that soon there wouldn't be anything left of my heart.

I also hated that I was beginning to wonder whether or not he was telling the truth. He had been telling me this for months, and, well, we were still sneaking around and lying. I couldn't share with everyone that we were in love. Nothing had changed, and I was unsure that things were ever going to change. Honestly I was so torn up about having to share him and all that that entails. I wasn't sure how much longer I could deal with this. I knew I was getting to the point that I just had to do what was best for my heart and leave._  
>Why don't you stay<br>I'm down on my knees  
>I'm so tired of being lonely<br>Don't I give you what you need  
>When she calls you to go<br>There is one thing you should know  
>We don't have to live this way<br>Baby, why don't you stay_

_I can't take it any longer  
>But my will is getting stronger<br>And I think I know just what I have to do  
>I can't waste another minute<br>After all that I've put in it  
>I've given you my best<br>Why does she get the best of you  
>So next time you find you wanna leave her bed for mine<em>

When he walked out the door yet again I knew what I had to do. I knew what this just wasn't working and nothing that I could do would change that. I knew that I was going got have to walk away. It was going to have to take what I could of my heart and salvage it for a much less toxic relationship.

I was killing myself doing this, even though I was sure that leaving him would hurt just as much. There were so many other things that I could be doing that were much more worthy of my time. I had given him all that I had, and I was still only second best. I had put everything I had and all my being into this. I had to stop wasting my time. Obviously wasn't enough for him. I was sick of giving my best and getting whatever parts of him that she didn't want.__

_Why don't you stay  
>I'm up off my knees<br>I'm so tired of being lonely  
>You can't give me what I need<br>When she begs you not to go  
>There is one thing you should know<br>I don't have to live this way  
>Baby, why don't you stay, yeah<em>

I started packing up all my stuff. I had to get out of Orlando. I needed to be as far away from this place as I possibly could. I knew that staying in Orlando would make this decision so much more difficult. I composed a quick text. I knew that breaking up him with him through a text was horrible, but I had to do it now, and I knew that he wasn't going to pick up my call and even on the off chance he did he would know all the right words to make me stay. He always did. He would say a few pretty word and I would melt into a puddle of goop. Then I would find myself in the same position I am now in a few weeks.

I took a deep breath before I did a last double check. I didn't know exactly where I was going to spend the rest of the night, but I knew that it wasn't going to be here. I never wanted to be in this position ever again.


End file.
